January 8 - 14 Daily Meditations in the Psalms
January 8
Psalms 2:10-11
10. Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth.11. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
The Son has taken His place as King of Kings and Lord of Lords and the mood changes considerably. God, in His longsuffering mercy, yet calls on kings to repent of their foolish opposition, in order to become wise. Wisdom calls in the streets and at the gates of the city where earth's administration is determined, "Oh ye simple, understand wisdom and ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart."
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." King Self can never be dethroned until fear comes into the picture. The only way to serve the Lord acceptably is with godly fear. Trembling is a proper disposition before Almighty God. Rejoicing is not to be lighthearted. The only way to properly rejoice before God is with trembling.
January 9
Psalms 2:12
12. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.
I suggest that the kiss required for the Son is a kiss upon His feet from a prostrate position. The gospels record two times that Jesus was kissed: Once on the cheek by a betrayer; once on the feet by a worshipper. The kiss from the sinner woman was that of submission.
Jesus seemed to refer to this verse in Luke 12:58-59, "As thou art IN THE WAY, give diligence that thou mayest be delivered from him; lest he hale thee to the judge." Mankind has an Adversary with whom they do well to make peace. They are on the way to the Judge, where he will surely pass an everlasting sentence against them. Then there will be no deliverance.
Blessed are all who surrender in trust, giving up all in which they confided – their kingly seat, attained positions, and acquired rule – and lay it at the feet of God's chosen King.
January 10
Psalms 3: the occasion
A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son.
This Psalm is accredited to the time when David fled from Absalom out of Jerusalem. David does not mention Absalom at all, I think, partly because of his love for his son, and partly because, without the backing of the populace, Absalom is nothing.
We find David at an all-time political low. Although he has served the people faithfully, they have largely turned against him. First of all, he brought the Ark of the Covenant, with its attending blessing and mercies, into prominence. Then, he defeated all their Philistine enemies. Every human being has an Achilles heel and David has been struck there. He has come against an enemy, whom he has no will to fight. What pitiable weakness in the finest of men; what humbling! Only David's most faithful are with him now, his "to whom shall we go" followers.
The crowds will never follow the man of God through God's deepest dealings. Crowds tend to be fickle. They know nothing of "outside the camp, bearing His reproach" theology. I wonder how many today are standing with Jesus, as the Laodicean church turns Him outside. No, the crowds stand with the pompous, confident and triumphant.
January 11
Psalms 3:1-2
A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son.
1. LORD, how are they increased that trouble me! many are they that rise up against me.
2. Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah.
In the darkest moment in David’s life, when Absalom drove him from his throne in Jerusalem, to add insult to injury, an old rivalry surfaces. One of Saul's diehards has been waiting a long time for this moment. He threw stones, curses and accusations. In times of oppression, the words against us sound very reasonable and true. How they confirm the doubts of a fainting heart! Besides, the flesh rises to defend, as did David’s officers against Shimai, and does nothing spiritually to resolve the situation.
Shimai was more vocal than most, but there was much talk in the households of Israel about David's plight and the consensus was that God was through with him. No doubt, David's own soul rose up against him. However, David in the midst of his darkest hour “paused and thought calmly of that” (that is the meaning of ‘Selah’), as the 'Selah' indicates, and wrote this Psalm.
January 12
Psalms 3:3-7
3. But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.4. I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah.
5. I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me.
6. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about.
7. Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God: for thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly.
In his hour of trial, David had to dig for something more powerful than his circumstances, more important than majority opinion and deeper than his own misgivings. He struck solid rock. "Thou, O Lord, art a shield for me." Deeper than consciousness, emotions, and understanding is the sustaining shield of divine defense. It stands alone to ward off the arrows of the enemy, which are directed at the internal organs of the soul. David's glory was not the throne in Jerusalem. It was established upon a holy hill that no enemy could climb or besiege. As long as that was the case, let the populace give Absalom Jerusalem's throne. God would again lift David's head from the dust of humiliation.
David experienced sustaining grace, sleep in the midst of turmoil, and afterwards, a greater awakening to discover that the surrounding enemies had not broken through heaven's invisible shield in the night. Let the physical odds be ten to one, one hundred to one, or in David's words, ten thousands to one, the invisible armies of the Lord of Hosts are always in the majority.
Before the fact, faith speaks. Through the eyes of faith, David sees the Almighty smashing out the molars that would grind him to powder.
January 13
Psalms 3:8
8. Salvation belongeth unto the LORD: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.
Did you hear the story of the imbecile who was looking for a lost article under the streetlight? When asked when he had lost it there, he replied, "I didn't lose it here, I lost it in that dark alley, but there's no light to see by." Look any other direction and the defenses crumble, but if salvation belongs to the Lord, then it would be robbery to give any other source credence. Here is David’s conclusion in his time of trouble: Look for salvation (deliverance) in the One to whom it belongs!
Men go to places that are more obvious to carnal eyes, rather than looking to Him who dwells in the secret place. Nothing of any value has been lost to men or to the world that should impel us to clamor for recognition among them. We owe everything to God.
Let's look to be on good terms with Him, though driven into the wilderness by men. The blessing is in Him and His blessing is upon His people. Who wants the blessing? That's the question. Who wants to be Absalom's people and who wants to be God's? Who belongs to the changing tide of dominant religious thought and who is anchored to the unchanging Rock of Ages? Selah – think about it.
January 14
Psalms 4:1
1. Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.
An old gospel song asks, "Where could I go but to the Lord?" The realization of God as our only source is a great aid in prayer. Many can look to an earthly throne, but David sat upon the earthly throne. Where should he go when in distress? A single-hearted turning to God brings us to prayer and prayer alone. Desperation settles in, as all earthly hopes crumble, and we come to the firm conviction that unless we touch God, we are doomed.
David cries, "Hear me, O God." At this level, assumption and theory are useless. The theoritician may assert “God always hears”, but the soul in distress looks beyond assertion to reality. He pleads for God’s ear. His prayer is more importunate than the woman before the unjust judge or the one calling on his reluctant friend at midnight. It is not enough for him to know in general terms that God is a merciful God. He must experience it.
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